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Don't blame the current Prime Minister

The current Prime Minister cannot really be blamed for the financial mess the country is in. That is because these things develop over a number of years. Instead the responsibility should lie with the previous Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The Treasury was run with a concentration on short term tricks which caused long term damage for 10 years. The raid on pensions is still playing out. The change in banking regulation allowed the Northern Rock problem to be one which grew and grew.

There has been a tendency in government to concentrate on the short term issue which means that long term problems have grown.

One of the Treasury's recipies for financial success was an ever growing valuation of property. This was always an unsustainable solution. The lack of cheap housing for rent (Social Housing) also drove up the property market.

A second one is buying things on the "never never". Masses of public investment has been done expensively through PFI. These costs have come home to roost with hospitals such as the QE II in Woolwich facing deficits that are underwritten by the Department of Health.

The ACT Raid on pension funds will become an issue in 2008 again.

It is not Gordon Brown's fault as Prime Minister. It is, however, Gordon Brown's fault for what he did as Chancellor.

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